Conversations You Should Have With Your Family (This Week)

You love your family. They’re kind of the best. Annoying, but the best. Whether “family” means your mom and dad and siblings, or your spouse and kids, or your circle of best friends and your dog (okay, you don’t need to have these conversations with your dog)--family means a lot to you. We all need a family. Our family doesn’t look like anyone else’s, and that’s how it should be. Regardless of who your family is, there are a few conversations you need to have with them, asap. In case you die.

Don’t worry, no one’s expecting you to die for a really long time. We can, however, lose sight of our transience. Living in a first world country can almost make us feel immortal, but we’re just as human as everyone else. We could die tomorrow. We could die today. We might not, but we should be making the most of our time. To really live the life you should, and to make sure your family knows what they should know, have these conversations before the week is over.

Tell Them You Love Them

We joke with people a lot. We’re pretty sure they know how much they mean to us… but we don’t really say it out loud. While you might tell your boyfriend or girlfriend or husband or wife that you love them, (a lot) it’s been a really long time since you let your brother know that you appreciate him. It’s been years since you hugged your mom and told her that, despite the fact that she’s crazy, you wouldn’t trade her for the world. If it’s been too long since you were upfront about your love, don’t waste time. Go make your family really uncomfortable.

Confess Some Stuff

Do you have something - weird - that you kind of need to tell someone? We don’t mean anything super serious, like an affair, but if there’s something weighing on your conscious, you might want to get it off now. Finally confess to your sister that yes, it was you who put the fly into her soda can in seventh grade. Don’t let your deep dark secrets stay secret forever.

Write Down Your Information

If you pass, and your wife or husband or other close family member doesn’t know your information, they’ll have a really difficult time figuring things out. Keep a list somewhere of your passwords, login information, and other necessary things, so that your bank account and even email addresses can be accessed.

Plan Your Funeral

If you have strong feelings about burial vs. cremation, you’ll want to let your family know. You might want your body donated to science. You might want to be an organ donor. If you have a preference for your funeral arrangements, tell a few people in your immediate family. Get it in writing. Let them know if you want embalming or cremation. Nowadays, it’s easier than ever to find cremation services in California, Arizona, or wherever you live. There are places you can select ahead of time, making this decision even easier on your family.